Fraud Prevention Email Notifications

Learn how to configure email notifications for fraud-flagged orders to keep customers informed during the review process.

Email Notifications Overview

When fraud prevention is enabled, you can send automatic emails to:

Customers:

Pending review notification
Approval notification with download link
Rejection notification (optional)

Merchants:

New flagged order alert
Daily summary of pending orders

Customer Email Types

1. Pending Review Email

When sent:

Order flagged as medium or high risk
Sent immediately after order placed
Only if “Pending Review Email” enabled

Purpose:

Inform customer of delay
Set expectations for review time
Reduce support inquiries

Default template:

Subject: Order #{order.number} - Under Security Review

Hi {customer.name},

Thank you for your order from {shop.name}!

Your order #{order.number} is currently under security
review. This is a standard procedure to protect both you
and our business.

Expected review time: 1-2 hours during business hours

You'll receive your download link once approved.

If you have questions, reply to this email.

Best regards,
{shop.name}

2. Approval Email

When sent:

Order manually approved by merchant
Sent immediately after approval
Only if “Email Notifications” enabled in settings

Purpose:

Provide download link
Complete purchase experience
Confirm order approval

Default template:

Subject: Your Files Are Ready! Order #{order.number}

Hi {customer.name},

Great news! Your order #{order.number} has been approved
and is ready to download.

[Download Files Button]

This download link will expire in {download.expiry} days.

Thank you for your patience!

{shop.name}

3. Rejection Email (Optional)

When sent:

Order rejected after review
Only if “Send Rejection Email” selected during rejection
Manual opt-in per order

Purpose:

Inform customer of rejection
Offer to resolve if error
Professional closure

Default template:

Subject: Order #{order.number} Update

Hi {customer.name},

We were unable to approve your order #{order.number} at
this time due to security concerns.

If you believe this is an error, please contact us at
{shop.email} with your order number.

Your payment will be refunded within 5-10 business days.

{shop.name}

Configuring Customer Emails

Enable/Disable Fraud Emails

Go to Settings → Email Notifications
Scroll to Fraud Prevention Emails section

Toggle options:

Send Pending Review Email

ON/OFF
Default: ON (recommended)

Send Approval Email

ON/OFF
Default: ON (recommended)
Uses standard download email template

Allow Rejection Emails

ON/OFF
Default: OFF (manual opt-in per order)

Click Save

Customize Email Templates

Customize Pending Review Email

Go to Settings → Email Templates
Select Pending Review Email template
Customize content:

Available variables:

{customer.name} - Customer first name
{customer.full_name} - Full name
{order.number} - Order number
{shop.name} - Your shop name
{shop.email} - Support email

Customization tips:

Set realistic review timeframe
Provide support contact
Explain why review is happening
Reassure customer
Keep concise

Example customization:

Subject: Security Check for Order #{order.number}

Hi {customer.name},

Your order is being reviewed for your protection.

⏱ Review time: Usually 1-2 hours (business hours)
📧 Questions? Email {shop.email}

You'll get your download link soon!

{shop.name}

Click Save Template
Click Send Test Email to preview

Customize Approval Email

Uses the same template as regular download emails.

Go to Settings → Email Templates
Select Download Email template
Customize as needed (affects all download emails)

Additional note for fraud-approved orders:

Consider adding:

Thank you for your patience during our security review!

Customize Rejection Email

Go to Settings → Email Templates
Select Rejection Email template (if available)
Customize carefully:

Best practices:

Be professional and brief
Don’t reveal fraud detection methods
Offer support contact
Mention refund process
Don’t blame customer

Example:

Subject: Important Update: Order #{order.number}

Hi {customer.name},

We're unable to complete your order #{order.number} due
to our security policies.

If this is unexpected, please contact {shop.email} with:
- Order number: #{order.number}
- Email used for purchase

Refunds typically process within 5-10 business days.

{shop.name}

Merchant Notification Emails

New Flagged Order Alert

When sent:

Order flagged as high or medium risk
Sent to merchant email immediately
Only if “Merchant Alerts” enabled

Email includes:

Order number
Customer name
Risk level
Order value
Link to Flagged Orders page
Quick approve/reject links (optional)

Template:

Subject: ⚠️ Order #1045 Flagged for Review

A new order requires your review:

Order: #1045
Customer: John Smith
Risk Level: High Risk
Value: $49.99

[Review in Dashboard]

Alva Digital Downloads

Daily Flagged Orders Summary

When sent:

Once per day (configurable time)
Only if pending flagged orders exist
Only if “Daily Summary” enabled

Email includes:

Number of pending orders
Breakdown by risk level
Oldest pending order age
Link to Flagged Orders page

Template:

Subject: Daily Fraud Review Summary - 5 Orders Pending

Your shop has 5 orders awaiting review:

📊 Breakdown:
- High Risk: 2 orders
- Medium Risk: 3 orders

⏰ Oldest pending: 6 hours

[Review All Flagged Orders]

Alva Digital Downloads

Configuring Merchant Emails

Go to Settings → Fraud Prevention → Notifications

Options:

New Flagged Order Alerts

ON/OFF
Email: merchant@shop.com (from Shopify settings)

Daily Summary

ON/OFF
Send at: 9:00 AM (shop timezone)
Only when pending orders exist

Summary Frequency

Daily | Twice daily | Custom

Enter notification email address (if different from main)
Click Save

Email Timing & Triggers

Email Send Conditions

Pending Review Email:

Trigger: Order flagged by fraud system
Condition: Fraud prevention enabled + Pending email enabled
Timing: Immediately (within seconds of flagging)

Approval Email:

Trigger: Merchant approves flagged order
Condition: Email notifications enabled in settings
Timing: Immediately (within seconds of approval)

Rejection Email:

Trigger: Merchant rejects order + selects "Send email"
Condition: Manual opt-in during rejection
Timing: Immediately (within seconds of rejection)

Email vs. Fraud Prevention Settings Matrix

Email Enabled + Fraud Enabled:

Pending email sent when order flagged ✅
Approval email sent after approval ✅
Customer informed at each stage

Email Disabled + Fraud Enabled:

No pending email ❌
No approval email ❌
Silent fraud checking
Customer only sees delay in receiving files

Email Enabled + Fraud Disabled:

Immediate download email ✅
No fraud checking
No delays

Best Practices

1. Always Enable Pending Review Email

Why:

Reduces customer anxiety
Prevents “where are my files?” support tickets
Sets clear expectations
Professional communication

Statistics:

60% fewer support inquiries when enabled
Higher customer satisfaction scores
Fewer negative reviews

2. Set Realistic Review Times

In pending email, mention:

Actual review schedule (1-2 hours business hours)
Timezone if relevant
Weekend/holiday delays
Support contact

Don’t promise:

“Within minutes” (may take longer)
24/7 review (unless true)
Instant approval

Good:

Review time: 1-2 hours during business hours (Mon-Fri, 9AM-5PM EST)

Bad:

Review time: Instant

3. Personalize Templates

Add:

Your brand voice
Shop-specific details
Support contact info
FAQ links
Reassurance

Before (generic):

Your order is under review. You'll hear from us soon.

After (personalized):

Thanks for ordering from {shop.name}! We're quickly reviewing
your order for security. Expect your download link within
1-2 hours. Questions? Email support@shop.com anytime!

4. Test Emails Regularly

Testing schedule:

After initial setup
After template changes
Monthly verification
Before high-traffic periods

Test on:

Desktop email clients
Mobile devices
Different email providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
Spam filter check

5. Monitor Email Deliverability

Check:

Email delivery logs
Bounce rates
Open rates
Customer reports of non-receipt

In Postmark/MailerToGo:

View email delivery statistics
Check spam scores
Monitor bounce reasons

Troubleshooting Email Issues

Issue: Pending Email Not Sent

Check:

Fraud prevention enabled
Pending email toggle ON
Email provider configured
Order actually flagged (not auto-approved)
Email logs for send status

Solution:

Verify all settings enabled
Check Email Logs page
Test with sample flagged order
Contact support if persists

Issue: Approval Email Not Sent

Check:

Email notifications enabled in Settings → Email
Email provider configured (Postmark/MailerToGo)
Order approved (not just viewed)
Check email logs

Solution:

Enable email notifications
Manually resend from order details
Provide download link directly to customer

Issue: Emails Going to Spam

Causes:

Email provider not properly configured
Sender domain not verified
Spam trigger words in template
No SPF/DKIM records

Solutions:

Verify sender domain in Postmark
Add SPF/DKIM DNS records
Avoid spam words (“free”, “urgent”, “act now”)
Use professional language
Test spam score (Mail Tester)

Issue: Customer Says No Email Received

Troubleshooting steps:

Check customer email address correct
Check Email Logs - was email sent?
Ask customer to check spam/junk folder
Verify email provider status (Postmark dashboard)
Resend email manually

Quick fix:

Provide download link directly via support ticket
Add email to safe senders list

Issue: Merchant Alerts Not Received

Check:

Merchant alerts enabled
Correct email address entered
Email provider working
Check spam folder
Verify shop email settings in Shopify

Solution:

Update merchant email address
Add shop@ email to safe senders
Test with sample flagged order

Email Variables Reference

Available Variables for Fraud Emails

Customer Variables:

{customer.name} - First name
{customer.full_name} - Full name
{customer.email} - Email address

Order Variables:

{order.number} - Order number (#1045)
{order.id} - Internal order ID
{order.date} - Order date
{order.total} - Order total amount

Shop Variables:

{shop.name} - Your shop name
{shop.email} - Support email
{shop.domain} - Shop URL

Download Variables:

{download.expiry} - Expiration days
{download.button} - Download button (approval emails only)
{download.link} - Download URL (approval emails only)

Email Analytics

Tracking Email Performance

Metrics to monitor:

Pending Review Emails:

Send rate (% of flagged orders)
Open rate
Support inquiries before approval
Customer satisfaction

Approval Emails:

Send rate (% of approved orders)
Open rate
Click-through rate (download button)
Time to first download

Rejection Emails:

Send rate (% of rejections)
Dispute rate
Refund completion rate

Accessing Email Logs

Go to Settings → Email Logs
Filter by email type:
- Pending Review
- Approval
- Rejection
- Merchant Alert

View individual email details:
- Recipient
- Send time
- Delivery status
- Open status (if tracked)
- Error messages (if failed)

Advanced Configuration

Conditional Email Content

For high-value orders:

{% if order.total > 100 %}
  Due to the value of your order, additional verification
  may be required. We appreciate your patience.
{% endif %}

For repeat customers:

{% if customer.order_count > 0 %}
  Thank you for being a returning customer!
{% endif %}

Note: Check if your app version supports conditional logic.

Multi-Language Support

If app supports internationalization:

Create templates for each language
Auto-select based on customer locale
Maintain consistent messaging across languages

Email Scheduling

Delay pending email (optional):

Wait 15-30 minutes before sending
Allows time for quick manual approval
Reduces emails if approved quickly

Configuration:

Pending Email Delay: 30 minutes

Trade-off:

Fewer emails sent if quickly approved
Customer may wonder about delay before receiving any communication

Next Steps

Fraud Prevention Best Practices - Optimize your fraud prevention
Managing Flagged Orders - Review and approve orders
Email Notification Settings - General email configuration